This is a very speculative-y fiction about a confounding community somewhere? We know it’s a small town, pretty isolated, near some mountains, with fairly predictable weather. (Think cloudy and wet-ish?) They know they are “othered” in that something happens to mothers in the town. No one can predict when–it could be months or it could be years- but at some point, the mothers will simply vanish into the clouds. It’s an affliction that they’ve dealt with for as long as they can remember. As hard as they’ve tried to predict why or when it will happen– did they love their children too much? Not enough? Is the blurred image in a photograph a sign? – No one seems to have the answers.

We meet Vera as a young girl, and see her go through adolescence, marriage, and eventually motherhood. She’s desperate to know when the affliction will come for her. When she starts feeling what she thinks are symptoms, she finally takes action to try to prevent her inevitable disappearance.

This was a thought-provoking story with lots of room for speculation. As a mom, I certainly thought about the lengths I’d go to to protect myself and my children from harm or trauma. If you’re looking for solid answers, it’s one I’d suggest skipping, but if you love a speculative fiction that’s immersive, atmospheric, and well-written, definitely check this one out!

Ell Potter propelled this story forward so much for me! She had a quiet strength to her voice for Vera, and listening to her narrate made a pretty good story pretty great. Her British accent was so pleasant to listen to, almost melodic in some spots. The audiobook is not quite 8 hours, so it's a quick listen. Thanks to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an ALC.

High above the mountaintops is Elsewhere, where mothers just fade away. Families wake up and the mother is just gone. Her belongings are then dispersed among the other women in Elsewhere and all photos and mementos of her burned. In short, they just cease to exist,

Vera doesn't want to disappear and be forgotten, so she runs away off the mountaintop. She lives many years among the rest of the world.. Her yearnings to see her family finally get the better of her and she returns to Elsewhere.

I wasn't as impressed with this book as I had hoped to be. Just too many questions, like why does this only happen to the women and exactly what happens to them, or why doesn't Vera disappear when she leaves Elsewhere?

It was an interesting concept, just not as captivating as I would have liked it to have been.

Elsewhere is a thought provoking commentary on what it means to be a mother, and the way that women are valued in society, as well as how we value ourselves. My only caution is that this is not a light read. It is not a long book, and you can easily read it in a few sittings, but the topics are heavy, and the prose is rich.

Much of the book will leave you wondering whether the protagonist is crazy, or whether you are! This is dystopian literary fiction - not a thriller. There are mysteries involved but as long as you go in understanding that the book is deep, not a breezy beach read, I think you will enjoy it much more.

I loved how the novel comes full circle in many ways - but I can't say more without spoilers. This book would be a good pick for book clubs because it is filled with topics ripe for discussion and after reading this, you will definitely want to discuss this book!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for my reader's audio advanced version in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start with some positives. The writing on this is so lyrical and lovely. It was almost meditative hearing the words spoken. The narration was fantastic.

The story.. didn't wow me. This story is set in a small town in a world separated from ours, where some mothers disappear, going elsewhere. Once she's gone, all evidence of her existence is destroyed and people forget they ever were part of the town. Our main character Vera, tries to escape this by leaving, and joining the outside world, an unknown to her, after she meets a newcomer in their isolated town.

This is definitely a metaphor for being a woman and all the challenges that come with it. It's marked as a dystopia, but as a frequent dystopia reader, I don't really feel that it fits.

Thank you netgalley and Macmillan audio for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I just couldn't get into this one. The plot and premise of the story were a little too out there and I couldn't connect with the characters. I ended up DNF'ing at about 20%. Just not the book for me unfortunately and I wasn't a fan of the narrator either. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to an early copy of the book!

Vera grew up in a small town isolated from the world. It’s high on a mountain, where the clouds come down to envelop them in the evening. It’s self-contained, with a supply man who comes twice a year to deliver goods and take away wares to sell for them. Almost no one ever comes to the town. But sometimes someone leaves.

The mothers of the town suffer from an affliction. Sometimes they disappear. No one knows for certain who it will be or when it will happen. But in hindsight, there are always signs. A mother who is not attentive enough to her children. Or a mother who is too close to her child. The clues are there, for anyone who looks.

Vera was young when her mother vanished. As she was growing up, it was just her and her father. He owned the town’s photo store, and she worked the counter for him. Vera was okay with it being just her and her father, even though Ana’s father had remarried after her mother had gone. Ana and Vera had been the best of friends when they were younger and played with their dolls together, but after their mothers disappeared, Ana didn’t want to spend time with Vera anymore. She became friends with other girls in their class, and then she started dating a boy.

One day, a stranger came to their little town. A woman, alone, checked into their small hotel. By the next morning, everyone in town knew that there was a stranger. She introduced herself as Ruth and asked respectful questions of the residents. Vera got a chance to know her a little, as Ruth would come into the photo store and buy film. She never brought it back to get it developed though. Eventually, Ruth is found to have taken something from one of the residents and is forced out of town. And life goes back to normal.

Ana and the other girls find boys, get married, and start having babies. Vera keeps working the counter at the photo shop. She believes that she will be single forever, but a visit to the dentist changes her mind. Peter is the new dentist, learned from his father. He had been in Vera’s class at school, but she’d never gotten to know him. He is sweet and kind, and she quickly finds herself falling in love with him. They marry and Vera gives birth to a girl they call Iris.

While Vera never stops thinking about the possibility of her disappearing, it’s not until after one of her birthday parties that Vera truly starts to fear that she is soon to vanish. She had let Iris make demands for the party for herself and her friends, asking for cucumber coins and powdered doughnuts and crafts. It’s after that that Vera starts to feel herself ebb away at the edges. There is a photo from the party, where Peter and Iris are there, smiling together, and Vera is a blur.

As the weeks go by, and Vera feels a tingle in her hand, or struggles to find her voice, she also makes plans. If she is one of the ones who is to suffer from the affliction, is there anything that she can do to stop it? And if there is, what will be the cost?

Elsewhere is an atmospheric novel about the price that some women pay for motherhood. Author Alexis Schaitkin has crafted a story that evokes loss and heartache, resilience and wonder. As I watched Vera grow into womanhood and then motherhood, I couldn’t help but wonder, do we become what we fear? Or do our fears make us strong enough to become our best selves? Schaitkin doesn’t shy away from the questions about what makes a woman, a mother, her best self, making this a powerful novel wrapped in a moving story.

I listened to the audio book of Elsewhere, narrated by Ell Potter, who brought such atmosphere to her reading. Her sharp British accent imbues this story with depth and gravitas, and her telling is timed in such a way that offers time to let the words sink in, let the ideas marinate, and let the reader process the meaning of the story. I thought her narration was lovely and fitting, and I would definitely recommend it as a powerful way to take in this story.

Elsewhere is not an easy story to read. There is sadness and mystery, this strange affliction that only affects the mothers of this small town. But it cries out to be absorbed and discussed, so it would be ideal for book clubs, and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t start showing up on reading lists of college courses. It asks a lot of questions without offering up easy answers. This is not light summer reading, but it is important reading. And it’s just a lovely experience to boot.

A copy of the audio book for Elsewhere was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Elsewhere is a hauntingly beautiful story of home, motherhood, and duty. I am in love with the rich details of the town and community where Vera is from. The book feels like a complete story to me yet I revel in the smaller incomplete memories that form Vera’s life. My senses carried me through the pages: the dampness of the air that grew moss on every surface; the richness of a broth in a new city; the smell in the air that told a woman who had never been to the coast that she was nearing the ocean; the fierceness that made a mother run rather than disappear so that she could would still be alive to continue the act of loving her daughter. I would only recommend this book if you can appreciate not having all the answers (I love this because it’s more like life — we don’t always get all the answers). This book is a work of art.

I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Occasionally, Vera’s isolated village wakes to find another mother has vanished with clouds. Though not all mothers disappear, when Vera enters motherhood, she faces the reality of her community’s affliction: no mother has control over whether they stay or vanish.

Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin was both gut-wrenching and beautifully written. I felt the dampness of the air, tasted the blood on my tongue, and held my breath alongside the mothers and their children. This is an absolute must read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery and appreciates exquisitely written prose.

Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book didn't quite live up to what I was hoping it would be.

The premise is appealing, but the story meandered a lot and never quite told me what I really wanted to know. Which, honestly, was at least a basic explanation for what was actually happening and why.

Unfortunately, this book would benefit from some editing. All of the paragraphs are extremely long and there are only 4 long chapters (plus one very short one). The result is what feels like one long run-on sentence. This is compounded by an incredibly slow-moving plot.

There are a lot of insightful ideas and nuggets in this book, but they get lost. If you love dystopian fiction and don't mind a slow-moving plot, then you will likely still enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC.

A hypnotic metaphor on motherhood

I was quickly engrossed into the story. I know the feeling of being lost in motherhood and was interested to know what affliction was happening to the mothers in the story.

A remote town in the mountains in an unnamed country that puts a spotlight on motherhood: the sacrifices, the dedication, and the isolation. The mothers disappear or leave, and while this mystery is the core, the book doesn’t concern itself with the mysticism of why, but with delving into what it means for the daughters left behind.

Ritual and obedience to a peculiar way of life turn the latter half of the book into discussion of otherness, and how we process those we perceive do not share our upbringing and customs. Different viewpoints do not equal ignorance and stupidity, they just equal different viewpoints but many characters (and all of us) struggle with that application.

Also this cover is dope as hell.

Dear Elsewhere,
I cannot remember the last time devoured a book the way did with you. You engulfed me in your mysterious world so quickly and I really NEEDED to know what happened with Vera. The Affliction was so interesting to me, and had to know why it happened and who it would happen to. I had my suspicious from early on that there was so much more to this little town than met the eye. I fell in love with Vera and the journey that she went on in her life. I don't how how much of your overall plot should talk about, because the gentle unfurling of the mystery of The Affliction and Vera's entire life. You spoke so eloquently about the harshness of hindsight and how every mother makes mistakes that can be looked at with judgement. There is a societal expectation that mothers be perfect, often forgetting that they are simply humans that are doing their best. The sacrifice that the women of the town make is monumental and the purest testament to what a mother's love can be.

Happy Book Birthday to Elsewhere 🎂📚🥳

The imagery and language of this book is gorgeous, evocative and dark. It pulls you in like a siren's call to listen to a mother's silent scream. At once an ode and an obituary of motherhood. This book left me unsettled and desperately grasping towards and longing for the mother of my youth and all the mothers that came before. I love you mom...

Thank you @celadonbooks for my ARC & @macmillan.audio for my ALC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this book! It is wonderful!

Elsewhere is a dystopian story about a small isolated town that holds lots of mystery surrounding the disappearance of women. It was expected that when girls get older they would get married and motherhood would soon follow. For Vera, being a mother put the fear in her especially her own mother disappeared one night. When a mother went/disappeared, a ceremony was held to erase the mother’s existence. But the question is, why was that particular mother chosen to go? What happened to them exactly?

Elsewhere is dramatic thought provoking and compelling read that illuminates and lures you into the dark world of this little town. It’s a captivating tale of love, motherhood, and self actualization. The writing was beautiful and Schaitkin had a way to stretch the storyline that left the interpretation to the reader of what really happened. Plenty of drama that will leave a lasting impression. This book would make a great book club selection as there was so many things I wanted to talk about with someone.

I really didn’t know what to expect going into this one. Speculative fiction isn’t something I read often, and I think I know why. It’s not really for me.

Don’t get me wrong! This book was imaginative, emotional, and beautifully written. Schaitkin writes in such a lyrical way it’s hard not to be drawn in while reading. It was just such a strange story that it was hard for me to relate to it. I enjoyed where Schaitkin took the story though and couldn’t have predicted it if I tried.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ell Potter. She was the perfect narrator for this book because her voice is mesmerizing. She brought Vera and Elsewhere to life.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest review.

A very well written, unique story of motherhood. Reminded me a lot of Margaret Atwood's dystopian world, and also, it gave me a big M. Night Shyamalon's THE VILLAGE vibe. At first I wasn't too sure if I enjoyed what I was reading, but it definitely kept my interest and I wanted to keep reading. I toggled between the audiobook and the ebook. The audiobook was very well done. Definitely check this one out... It surprises you!

*Thank you @celadonbooks for the #gifted ebook and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

Alexis Schaitkin’s Elsewhere is the latest female dystopian novel. Vera lives in an isolated small town where the girls grow up to become women who get married, become mothers, and then disappear. Vera recounts how her own mother disappeared. As Vera starts to get older and contemplates marriage and motherhood, who will be the next to go? And is Vera ready to part with her life?

Elsewhere definitely gave me much to think about such as what do we really leave behind when we go. It does seem that parents are really pressured to give the essence of themselves when they have children. There aren’t many parents that I know who regularly pursue their own interests.

There is one character that I am undecided about: Mr. Philips. I can’t decide if he is a puppetmaster or not, maybe a con artist. And I love that.

However, I don’t feel that Elsewhere is ready to be published just yet. There should be refinements.

The book is written as five chapters (4 extremely long chapters and one extreme short chapter). The chapters are so long (almost 2 hours to read one chapter)! Also, the paragraphs were so long! I mean paragraphs that would span more than 1 page. And multiple paragraphs like this.

Vera’s world is very particular, and the author essentially comes right out and gives us an information dump at the beginning of the book. The last half of the book is also pretty weak, very forgettable, and light on action. The ending is really forgettable.

I’m angry because I really like this book in that I enjoyed the plotline. I loved the way that it brought up ideas, subtle, giving me time to noodle on some deeper thoughts. However, the storytelling particularly with the last half of the book really needs to be cleaned up. Additionally, how could the editor let these ginormous chapters and paragraphs go by? The female dystopian genre is extremely competitive, and I didn’t feel that this version is ready for primetime yet.

Elsewhere is a bit of a miss, but Alexis Schaitkin has some really unique, interesting ideas, and I would be honored to read more of her work. Ms. Schaitkin, if you would like me to be one of your beta readers for your upcoming works, I would be more than happy to support you. Please know that you are talented, I see it.

*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

My Thoughts:
This is a interesting but different story it took me a bit to get into it.
But I soon found myself listening to find out more. This story goes into the deep questions we ask ourselves as mothers. As mother’s are we doing this right or not ? This story would be a great book to discuss in a book club Thank You @netgalley for letting me read this for my review

“Here is here, and everywhere else is elsewhere.”

Here is a small, secluded town in the mountains. Here is a place deeply rooted in its unique traditions. Here is a place where women become mothers and then, sometimes, they simply vanish.

In this refreshingly unique novel Alexis Schaitkin takes us on a deep dive into motherhood, exploring what it both gives and takes from us as women and the pressures from outside and within to meet a certain standard of motherhood. Elsewhere is beautifully written and thought provoking. A quick read perfect for book clubs as there is plenty to unpack and discuss especially with recent events. If you’re just sitting here reading this review you should be elsewhere (like the book store) picking up your own copy.